Traveling wave interferometry particularly for solar power satellites

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising receiving, mixing and filtering said waves at at least one other different receiving antenna to detect a second beat signal and wherein said second beat signal is said reference signal.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein a third wave is also radiated from one of said radiators and wherein said reference signal is a detected beat signal generated by said third wave and the other wave from the same radiator.

Claim 9

A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the steps of claim 2 are repeated for a different pair of sidebands.

Claim 10

A method in accordance with claim 5 for also providing a signal related to the distance between said fringes, said method further comprising: (a) receiving, mixing and filtering signals generated by said waves at a second receiving antenna to detect a beat of said opposite sideband with the signal generated by one of the other waves; and (b) detecting the phase difference between the beat of said opposite sideband and said one of the other waves as detected for the waves received at each of said antennas.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the steps of: (a) receiving, mixing and filtering signals generated by said waves at a third receiving antenna positioned non-colinear with said first two receiving antennas to detect the beat of said opposite sideband with the signal generated by said one of the other of said waves; and (b) detecting the phase difference between the beat of said opposite sideband and said one of said other waves as detected at said third receiving antenna with the corresponding beat as received at said first receiving antenna.

Claim 14

A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said waves are electromagnetic waves.

Claim 15

A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said waves are received at three receiving antennas.

Claim 18

A method in accordance with claim 12 for metering the distance between said two points comprising the further steps of: (a) detecting the frequency of one of said radiated signals; and (b) detecting the frequency difference between said radiated signals.

Claim 19

A method in accordance with claim 12 comprising: (a) receiving said waves at a third antenna which is not colinear with said first two antennas; (b) detecting the phase difference between said beats derived from said radiated waves at said third antenna; (c) electronically storing data in an electronic computer representing the following parameters: D ab =the distance from a first one of said antennas to a second one of said antennas; D ac =the distance from said first antenna to the third one of said antennas; θ o =the angle at said first antenna between said second and said third antennas; θ 1 =the angle between a line joining said first antenna and said second antenna and the line of intersection between the plane of said antennas and a plane through said first antenna and perpendicular to a line joining said first antenna and said first point in space; ω 2 =the radian frequency of the wave from the second of said points in space; Δω=the difference in radian frequency between the waves from said points in space; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; η=the angle from the zenith of said first receiving antenna relative to the plane of said receiving antennas to said first radiator as observed at said first receiving antenna; and (d) machine computing the distance d, between said two points in space and θ r , the observed orientation of said points, by solving the simultaneous equations: ##EQU11## and wherein Δφ ab is the total phase difference between the beats described at said first and said second antennas and Δφ ac is the total phase difference between the beats detected at said first and said third antennas. and wherein Δφ.sub.ab =φ.sub.ab +m2π Δφ.sub.ac =φ.sub.ac +n2π wherein φ ab and φ ac are the measured values of the above phase shifts respectively.

Claim 20

A method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising positioning said first antenna at the apex of a right angle and the others of said antennas on lines forming said right angle.

Claim 21

A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising positioning said other antennas equidistant from said first antenna.

Claim 24

A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein one of said reference signals and said signal from said second point are sidebands which are equally spaced on opposite sides of the other of said reference signals.

Claim 25

A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein said waves are electromagnetic waves.

Claim 26

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein the lower of said sidebands is ω T and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: (a) electronically storing data in an electronic computer representing the following parameters: said ω T d=the distance between said points; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; and (b) machine computing the phase correction angle Δφ C2 from the following equation: ##EQU12## wherein Δφ ar is said phase difference.

Claim 27

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein all of said steps of claim 19 are repeated for a different pair of sidebands which are equally spaced on opposite sides of said other reference signal.

Claim 28

A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein said method further comprises: (a) electronically storing data in an electronic computer representing the following parameters: said ω T d=the distance between said points; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; ω m =the radian frequency of the wave radiated from said second point during radiation of the first pair of said sidebands; ω n =the radian frequency of the wave radiated from said second point during radiation of said different pair of sidebands; and (b) machine computing the phase correction angle Δφ C2 from the following equation: ##EQU13## wherein φ n is said phase difference between said beat signals for radiation of said second pair of sidebands and wherein φ m is said detected phase difference φ m between said beat signals for radiation of said first pair of sidebands if the absolute value of said detected phase difference φ m less φ n is less than π and wherein otherwise φ m is 2π+φ m if φ m is less than zero and φ m is φ m -2π is not less than zero.

Claim 29

A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising the steps of: (a) receiving one of said reference waves and said third wave at each of at least two spaced apart receiving antennas spaced from said points; (b) mixing the two signals from each of said receiving antennas which are generated by said one reference wave and said third wave to produce a beat signal for each of said antennas; and (c) detecting the phase difference between said beat signals.

Claim 30

A method in accordance with claim 23 comprising: (a) receiving said waves at three antennas which are not colinear; (b) electronically storing data in an electronic computer representing the following parameters: D ab =the distance from a first one of said antennas to a second one of said antennas; D ac =the distance from said first antenna to the third one of said antennas; θ o =the angle at said first antenna between said second and said third antennas; θ 1 =the angle between a line joining said first antenna and said second antenna and the line of intersection between the plane of said antennas and a plane through said first antenna and perpendicular to a line joining said first antenna and said first point in space; ω 2 =the radian frequency of the wave from the second of said points in space; Δω=the difference in radian frequency between the waves from said points in space; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; η=the angle from the zenith of said first receiving antenna relative to the plane of the receiving antennas to said first radiator as observed at said first receiving antenna; and (c) machine computing the distance, d, between said two points in space and θ r , the observed orientation of said points, by solving the simultaneous equations: ##EQU14## and wherein Δφ ab is the total phase difference between the beats detected at said first and said second antennas and Δφ ac is the total phase difference between the beats detected at said first and said third antennas. and wherein Δφ.sub.ab =φ.sub.ab +m2π Δφ.sub.ac =φ.sub.ac +n2π wherein φ ab and φ ac are the measured values of the above phase shifts respectively.

Claim 31

A method in accordance with claim 24 for also aiming and phasing an array of more than three radiating antennas comprising: (a) radiating said reference waves from a selected reference antenna in said array; (b) performing the steps of claim 21 to determine a Δφ C2 for a selected reference antenna and each of the other antennas in sequence, one at a time; and (c) sequentially correcting the phase of each of said other antennas by its phase correction Δφ C2 to bring it into the proper phase relative to said selected reference antenna.

Claim 34

An apparatus in accordance with claim 26 wherein said waves are electromagnetic waves.

Claim 35

An apparatus in accordance with claim 26 wherein there is further included: (a) a third receiving antenna spaced from both of said radiators and spaced from and not colinear with said first and second receiving antennas; (b) electronic data storage means connected to the output of said phase detecting means for storing data representing at least all but one of the following parameters: D ab =the distance from a first one of said antennas to a second one of said antennas; D ac =the distance from said first antenna to the third one of said antennas; θ o =the angle at said first antenna between said second and said third antennas; θ.sub. = the angle between a line joining said first antenna and said second antenna and the line of intersection between the plane of said antennas and a plane through said first antenna and perpendicular to a line joining said first antenna and said first point in space; ω 2 =the radian frequency of the wave from the second of said points in space; Δω=the difference in radian frequency between the waves from said points in space; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; η=the angle from the zenith of said first receiving antenna relative to the plane of said receiving antennas to said first radiator as observed at said first receiving antenna; and (c) machine computing means connected to said data storage means for solving at least one of the following simultaneous equations for at least one of said parameters: ##EQU15## wherein: d=the distance between said two points and θ r =the observed orientation of said points; and wherein Δφ ab is the total phase difference between the beats detected at said first and said second antennas and Δφ ac is the total phase difference between the beats detected at said first and said third antennas. and wherein Δφ.sub.ab =φ.sub.ab +m2π Δφ.sub.ac =φ.sub.ac +n2π wherein φ ab and φ ac are the measured values of the above phase shifts respectively.

Claim 36

An apparatus in accordance with claim 28 wherein said first antenna is positioned at the apex of a right angle and the other of said antennas lie on lines forming said right angle and are equidistant from said first antenna.

Claim 39

An apparatus in accordance with claim 30 wherein said waves are electromagnetic.

Claim 40

A apparatus in accordance with claim 31 wherein the lower of said sidebands is ω T and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: (a) electronically showing data in an electronic computer representing the following parameters: said ω T d=the distance between said points; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; and (b) machine computing the phase correction angle Δφ c2 from the following equation: ##EQU16## wherein Δφ ar is said phase difference.

Claim 41

An apparatus in accordance with claim 32 wherein there is further included: (a) means for radiating a different pair of sideband frequencies from said transmitting antennas; (b) electronic data storage means connected to the output of said phase detecting means for storing the following parameters: said ω T d=the distance between said points; L=the distance from a first one of said points in space to a first one of said receiving antennas; c=the velocity of light; ω m =the radian frequency of the wave radiated from said second point during radiation of the first pair of said sidebands; ω n =the radian frequency of the wave radiated from said second point during radiation of said different pair of sidebands; and (c) machine computing means connected to said data storage means for solving the following equation: ##EQU17## wherein φ n is said phase difference between said beat signals for radiation of said different pair of sidebands and wherein φ m is said detected phase difference φ m between said beat signals for radiation of said first pair of sidebands if the absolute value of said detected phase difference φ m less φ n is less than π and otherwise φ m is 2π+φ m if φ m is less than zero and φ m is φ m -2π if φ m is not less than zero.

Claim 42

An apparatus in accordance with claim 32 or 33 wherein there is further provided: (a) a second receiving antenna spaced from said first receiving antenna; (b) a third receiving antenna spaced from and not colinear with said first and said second receiving antennas; (c) mixing and filtering means connected to each of said receiving antennas for detecting the beat signals derived from the beat of one of said reference waves and said third wave as received at each of said receiving antennas; and (d) phase detecting means for detecting the phase difference between said beat signals.

Claim 45

A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein said waves are electromagnetic waves.

Claim 46

A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein one of said reference waves and ω T are sidebands which are equally spaced on opposite sides of the other said reference signals.

Claim 47

A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein all said steps of claim 37 are repeated for a different pair of sidebands which are equally spaced on opposite sides of said other reference signal.

Claim 50

A method in accordance with claim 20 for additionally avoiding transmission path disturbances by using off-site phase compensation and steering said beam to a second point of incidence, said method further comprising: (a) performing the steps of claim 20 at a said location which is a first point of incidence on earth spaced a distance D o from said second point of incidence; and (b) shifting the wave radiated from each subarray radiator by a phase shift φ P for each subarray radiator defined by the expression: ##EQU19## wherein ω T represents the frequency of the radiated waves, x represents the distance from a selected one of said subarray radiators to a point which results from the projection of the position of the subarray radiator having the phase of its radiated wave being shifted, onto the plane defined by said first point, said second point and said selected subarray and then projection onto the plane passing through said selected subarray perpendicularly to a line joining said selected subarray and said second point, φ c represents the angle between a line joining said first point of incidence with said second point of incidence and a line passing through said first point of incidence and perpendicular to a line joining said secondpoint of incidence and one of said radiators, L represents the distance from said second point of incidence to said one radiator, and c is the speed of light.

Claim 51

A method in accordance with claim 40 further comprising the steps of performing the steps of claim 40 in sequence for each of a multiplicity of different locations on earth and determining a corresponding multiplicity of phase correction factors Δφ C2 and phase shifts φ P for each of said locations and then using conventional statistical error reduction techniques for determining a total, optimum phase compensation factor.

Claim 52

A method in accordance with claim 22 for additionally avoiding transmission path disturbances by using off-site phase compensation and steering said beam to a second point of incidence, said method further comprising: (a) performing the steps of claim 22 at a said location which is a first point of incidence on earth spaced a distance D o from said second point of incidence; and (b) shifting the wave radiated from each subarray radiator by a phase shift φ P for each subarray radiator defined by the expression: ##EQU20## wherein ω T represents the frequency of the radiated waves, x represents the distance from a selected one of said subarray radiators to a point which results from the projection of the position of the subarray radiator having the phase of its radiated wave being shifted, onto the plane defined by said first point, said second point and said selected subarray and then projection onto the plane passing through said selected subarray perpendicularly to a line joining said selected subarray and said second point, φ c represents the angle between a line joining said first point of incidence with said second point of incidence and a line passing through said first point of incidence and perpendicular to a line joining said second point of incidence and one of said radiators, L represents the distance from said second point of incidence to said one radiator, and c is the speed of light.

Claim 53

A method in accordance with claim 42 further comprising the steps of performing the steps of claim 42 in sequence for each of a multiplicity of different locations on earth and determining a corresponding multiplicity of phase correction factors Δφ C2 and phase shifts φ P for each of said locations and then using conventional statistical error reduction techniques for determining a total, optimum phase compensation factor.